The first rendering of the Koran into a
western language was made by the English scholar Robertus Retenensis in
the twelfth century, at the instance of Peter the Venerable, Abbot of
Cluny; it was completed in 1143, and enjoyed a considerable circulation in
manuscript. Exactly four centuries later this mediaeval Latin version was
published at Basle, the editor being Theodor Bibliander (Buchmann) of
Zurich. It abounds in inaccuracies and misunderstandings, and was inspired
by hostile intention; nevertheless it served as the foundation of the
earliest translations into modem European idioms.

In 1647 Andre du Ryer, a gentleman of
France trading in the Levant, published a French translation which took
matters little farther. Two years later an English version of this
appeared, with the following curious title-page:

‘The Alcoran of Mahomet, Translated out of
Arabick into French. By the Sieur du Ryer, Lord of
Malezair, and Resident for the French King, at ALEXANDRIA. And
Newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all that desire to look
into the Turkish Vanities. To which is prefixed, the Life of Mahomet, the
Prophet of the Turks, and Author of the Alcoran. With a Needful
Caveat, or Admonition, for them who desire to know what Use may be made
of, or if there be danger in Reading the ALCORAN.'

Such was the somewhat inglorious beginning
of the English interpretation of the Holy Book of Islam. A quotation or
two from the translator's address ‘to the Christian Reader’ will help to
illustrate the spirit in which this version was offered:

'There being so many Sects and Heresies
banded together against the Truth, finding that of Mahomet wanting
to the Muster, I thought good to bring it to their Colours, that so
viewing thine enemies in their full body, thou maist the better prepare to
encounter, and I hope overcome them. It may happily startle thee, to find
him so to speak English, as if he had made some Conquest on the
Nation; but thou wilt soon reject that fear, If' thou consider that this
his Alcoran (the Ground‑work of the Turkish Religion ), hath
been already translated into almost all Languages in Christendom (at
least, the most general, as the Latin, Italian, French, &c.), yet
never gained any Proselyte, where the Sword, its most forcible, and
strongest argument hath riot prevailed.... Thou shalt find it of so rude,
and incongruous a composure, so farced with contradictions, blasphemies,
ob­scene speeches, and ridiculous fables, that some modest, and more
rational Mahometans have thus excused it; that their Prophet wrote
an hundred and twenty thousand sayings, whereof three thousand only are
good, the residue (as the im­possibility of the Moons falling into his
sleeve, the Conversion and Salvation of the Devils, and the like) are
false and ridiculous. Yet is the whole esteemed so sacred, that upon the
Cover thereof is inscribed – Let none touch it but he who is clean.
Nor are the vulgar permitted to read it, but live and die in an implicite
faith of what their Priests deliver.... Therefore (Christian Reader)
though some, conscious of their own instability in Religion, and of theirs
(too like Turks in this) whose prosperity and opinions they follow, were
unwilling this should see the Press, yet am I confident, if thou hast been
so true a votary to orthodox Reli­gion, as to keep thy self untainted of
their follies, this shall not hurt thee; And as for those of that Batch,
having once abandoned the Sun of the Gospel, I believe they will wander as
far into utter darkness, by following strange lights, as by this Ignis
Fatuus of the Alcoran. Such as it is, I present it to thee,
having taken the pains only to translate it out of French, not
doubting, though it hath been a poyson, that hath infected a very great,
but Most unsound part of the Universe, it may prove an Anti­dote, to
confirm in thee the health of Christianity.'

Such being the translator's estimate of
the merits of the Koran, it is hardly surprising that his version is very
far from perfect. For instance, this is what he made of the passage (Sura
XII, 23‑29) telling of the temptation of Joseph by Potiphar's wife:

'His Masters Wife became amorous of his
Beauty, she one day shut him into her Chamber, and solicited him with
love; God defend me (said he) to betray my Master, and be unchaste (he was
in the number of the righteous) and fled to the Door; his Mistress ran
after him, and to stay him, tore his Shirt through the back: She met her
Husband behind the Door, to whom she said, what other thing doth he merit,
who would dishonour thine house, than to be imprisoned, and severely
chastised? Lord, said Joseph, she sollicited me, that Infant which
is in the Cradle, and of thy Parentage shall be witness: Then the Infant
in the Cradle said, if Joseph's Shirt be torn before, she hath
spoken truth, and Joseph is a Lyar; if the Shirt be rent behind, Joseph
hath delivered the truth, and she a lyar: then her Husband beheld Joseph's
Shirt torn behind, and knew that it was extream malice, and said to
Joseph, take heed to thy self, and beware this act be not divulged, do
thou, speaking to his Wife, implore pardon for thy fault, thou art truly
guilty.'

A second specimen is this rendering of the
beautiful account of the birth of Jesus (Sura XIX, 16‑34):

'Remember thou what is written of Mary,
she retired towards the East, into a place far remote from her Kindred,
and took a Vail to cover her, we sent her our Spirit in form of a man; she
was afraid, and said, God will preserve me from thee, if thou have his
fear before thine eyes; he said, Oh Mary! I am the Messenger of God
thy Lord, who shall give thee a Son, active, and prudent: She answered,
How shall I have a Son without the touch of man? I desire not to be
unchaste; he said, The thing shall be as I have told thee, it is facile to
thy Lord; thy Son shall be a token of the Omnipotency of God, and of his
special grace towards such as shall believe in his Divine Majesty; she
became with Child, and retired some time into a place remote from People,
where she sustained the dolours of Child‑birth, at the foot of a
Date‑tree, and said, Why am I not dead? Wherefore am I not in the number
of persons forgotten? The Angel said to her, Afflict not thy self; God
hath placed a brook under thee, shake the foot of this Palm, and the Dates
shall fall, gather them up, eat and drink, and wash thine eyes; say unto
them that thou shall meet, that thou fastest, and hast made a Vow not to
speak to any one, until the fast be accomplished. Her Parents met her
while she bare the Infant, and said unto her, Oh Mary! behold a strange
thing; Oh Sister of Aaron! thy Father did not command thee to do evil,
neither was thy Mother unchaste; she made signs to her Infant to answer
them; they said, How shall the Infant in the Cradle speak? Then her infant
spake, and said, I am the Servant of God, he hath taught me the Scripture,
hath made me a Prophet, blessed me in all places, and commanded me to pray
unto him; he hath recommended to me purity through the whole course of my
life, and to honour my Father and Mother; he hath not made me either
violent or malicious, praised shall be the day of my birth, the day that I
shall die, and the day of my resurrection.'

The Koran Interpreted - A Translation by A. J.
Arberry, A Touchstone Book published by Simon & Schuster